Oven



V. A. FOX

June 3, 1930.

OVEN

Filed June 22, 1928 Patented June 3,' 1930 UNITED STAT-Es PATENT OFFICE VERNIE A. FOX, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ESSI'GNOR To YOUNG BROTHERS COMPANY,

OF DETROIT,` MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN OVEN Application filed` .Tune 22,

The present invention pertains to anovel oven of the type designed for drying metal plates that have been painted, enameled, japanned or similarly treated.

In an oven of this type it is desired to pre-V- vent the heated. air from escaping through the. openings for the entrance and exit of the work. 'This result is obtainedin the present invention by forming the oven with a downwardly sloping portion which has the workA inlet and outlet at its lower end. The remainder of the oven is obviously elevated with respect to this end7 and the heated air which has a tendency to rise will not descend tothis opening and consequently will not escape therethrough.

The invention is fully disclosed by way of example in the following descriptionr and in the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure l is a plan view of the device, partly broken away; y

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section thereof; and

Fig. 3 is a detail transverse sectionof the conveyor.

Reference to these views will be made by use of like characters which are employed to desi nate corresponding parts throughout.

` Te oven is built upon a supporting structure 1 and includes a horizontal or upper portion 2 from which a communicating portion 3 slopes downwardly. The lower end 4 of the sloping portion is open for the passage of a conveyor therethrough as will presently be described. Onthe floor of the upper portion is provided a series of heating elements 5 for affording the hot air required in the drying process.

An endless track consisting of a pair of opposed angle members 6 is supported along the top of the portions2 and 3 and extended outwardly for some distance beyond the opening 4 as indicated by the numeral 7. Over the section 7 Yis built a platform 8 having a pair of rails 9 at a height slightly above this section as shown in Figure 2. A carriage 10 is mounted slidably on the rails by means of rollers 11 which rest on the rails. In the carriage is journalled a vertical'stub shaft 12 carrying a sprocketwheel 13 in a plane slightly below the sect-ion 7. A spring 12 connect- .Which is being drawn towards the port 27.(y

192s. semi No. 237,525.

ing the shaft to a xed part of the platform tends to draw the shaft away from the opening 4. V

Another shaft 14 is journalled vertically in the remote end of the section 2. This shaft, carries a drive pinion 15 below the floor of the section 2 and a sprocket 16 slightly beneath the endless track. An endless chain consisting of links 17 united -by pins 18 is trained over the sprockets 13 and 16.

At regular intervals along the lengthof the chain, T-members 19 have their stems secured to the upper part of the chain and their heads equipped with rollers 2O riding on the angle members 6. Beneath each T-member, a pin 21 is xed securely in the lower part of the chain and has a` rack or basket 22 pivotally attached thereto by a loose rivet 23. The baskets areformed with transverse bars 24 on which the work may be laid and thus carried throughthe oven. Guide members 6 are laid over the rollers in the inclined section 3 forthe purpose of preventing the conveyor assembly from being raised olf the tracks 6 in this area.

A` partition 25 extends longitudinally through both sections 2 and 3 of the oven from the sprocket 16 to the open end 4. The shaft 14 is driven to move the endless chain in the direction indicated by the arrows, and at the entrance side of the bailie an exhaust fan 26 is connected to the base of the sloping section, drawing through a port 27.

The air which is heated by the elements 5 is eventually drawn through the port 27, and consequently fresh air will enter through the opening 4 at the chain outlet side of the baille. The work which has passed through the hot Zone in the vicinity of the heating elements 5 will be somewhat cooled duringits outward travel in a path opposite to the direction of the incoming fresh air. Also, the work which is entering the oven'- will be initially heated on coming into contact with the warm air The spring 12 obviously maintains the chain taut at all times in response to changes in its length due to expansion and contraction.

Although a speciic embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described,

it will be understood that various alterations in the details ofconstruction may be made without depart-ing from the scope of the invention as indicated by the appended claim.

What I claim is An oven comprising an elevated portion and a downwardly sloping portion, the latter portion being open at its 'lower end and closed at the upper end, an endless chain extending through both portions and adapted to enter and leave the oven at said end, a partition dividing said portions longitudinally and disposed between the laps of said chain, heating means in the elevated port-ion and air exhaust means in the sloping portion.

In testimony whereof I afix my signature.

VERNIE A. FOX.` 

